A microalgae- and yeast-derived nutraceutical modulates immune-metabolic and intestinal responses to an IFA-induced inflammatory challenge in Sparus aurata fed a plant-based diet.

Authors

Anyell Caderno, Paula Simó-Mirabet, Milagrosa Oliva, Francisco Javier Alarcón-López, David Hidalgo-Martín, Gonzalo Martínez-Rodríguez, Juan Miguel Mancera, Juan Antonio Martos-Sitcha

Published in

Fish & shellfish immunology. Pages 111805. Oct 31, 2026. Epub Oct 31, 2026.

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of LB-IMMUNOboost, a microalgae- and yeast-derived nutraceutical, on the immune and metabolic responses of Sparus aurata juveniles fed plant-based diets and intraperitoneally injected with incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA). Fish were fed a control diet (20% fishmeal [FM], 9% fish oil [FO]; C+), a diet with 5% FM based mainly on plant-derived ingredients and 5% FO (C‒), or the same C‒ diet supplemented with the nutraceutical (IB) for 90 days before IFA or sham injection. Compared with C‒, the IB diet tended to restore or maintain metabolic parameters and hepatic integrity (hepatosomatic index and hepatocyte area) and promoted hepatic activation of mitochondrial and energy-related machinery to meet immune/dietary challenges (sirt1, sirt7, cpt1ab, nd1, nd2, cox1). At the immune level, LB-IMMUNOboost supplementation promoted a balanced immune response by regulating pro- and anti-inflammatory responses, supporting defense without causing excessive inflammation. Histologically, the IB diet helped to preserve intestinal architecture, with partial recovery of goblet cell numbers and improved absorptive surface features compared with C‒, including changes in mucosal-submucosal layer thickness and the mucosal-to-submucosal surface ratio, though these effects varied across intestinal regions. Finally, all groups showed tissue-specific gene expression patterns, with the IB group characterized by immune-metabolic activation in the head kidney and spleen and markedly attenuated intestinal responses. This study provides a foundation for developing functional diets that balance production performance, fish health, welfare, and sustainability. Further research should clarify tissue-specific mechanisms and address limitations related to sampling times, the use of an adjuvant-induced rather than pathogen-induced challenge, and the lack of functional analyses beyond molecular regulation.

PMID:
42966609
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 01 Nov 2026.

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